Child protection bills among new laws signed by governor

LANSING, Mich. - A package of bills that will increase collaboration and provide cohesive data on children who have died in state care is among the legislation signed by Gov. Rick Snyder today.

Senate Bill 226 creates a public registry of statistical information regarding children who have died under state supervision.  The bill is sponsored by state Sen. Mark Jansen, R-Gaines Township. It is Public Act 69 of 2011.

S.B. 228 allows courts to have access to confidential information from DHS pertaining to children who died while under state care.  S.B. 228, sponsored by state Sen. Judy Emmons, R-Sheridan, is P.A. 70 of 2011.

House Bill 4385, sponsored by state Rep. Tom Hooker, R-Byron Center, requires DHS to provide written or electronic notification to the courts, Legislature and Office of Children's Ombudsman within one business day if a child dies in state custody.  It is P.A. 67 of 2011.

H.B. 4387 requires the child fatality review team and the state advisory committee to include a representative of a state or local court.  It also requires a review of each child fatality involving allegations of abuse or neglect for children who, at the time of death or within the prior year, were under the family court's jurisdiction in an abuse or neglect case.  In addition, the state advisory committee must transmit its annual report of child abuse to DHS.  H.B. 4387 is sponsored by state Rep. Margaret O'Brien, R-Portage.  It is P.A. 68 of 2011.

The governor also signed:

 S.B. 104 creates a Boy Scouts of America license plate, allowing motorists to show their support for the organization.  A portion of the revenue from plate sales will support the Boy Scouts, which played an important role in the lives of more than 83,000 Michigan youths in 2010.  S.B. 104, now P.A.66 of 2011, is sponsored by state Sen. Roger Kahn, R-Saginaw.

 S.B. 118, sponsored by state Sen. Michael Green, R-Mayville, allows producers of precast concrete to submit sales tax revenues on a quarterly basis rather than monthly as is now required.  The new law lets this specific industry report less frequently because of the inordinate number of credit sales it records, and those credit sales often are not processed by the time producers are required to report them.  S.B. 118 is now P.A. 71 of 2011.

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